Alison Brie Excels in 'Apples Never Fall' | Vanity Fair

Article by David Canfield

Alison Brie, famous for her performances in Mad Men, Community, and the Golden Globe-nominated GLOW, is returning to television in Peacock's limited series, Apples Never Fall, based on Liane Moriarty's bestseller. Her return to the small screen comes after a period of writing, producing, and starring in reputable independent film projects, and after GLOW was axed amidst considerable criticism during the pandemic.

The narrative of the series centres on the disappearance of a high-class family's matriarch from Palm Beach (played by Annette Bening), leading her husband (Sam Neill) and their four grown children (portrayed by Brie, Jake Lacy, Essie Randles, and Conor Merrigan Turner) to delve into their past and unearth deeply concealed secrets. Brie's character, Amy, is often misconstrued and disregarded by those around her despite having overcome adversity and coming out of it with profound wisdom and perspective.

Brie states while chatting on this week's Little Gold Men, between stints on the horror movie she's producing and acting in with Dave Franco, that this feels like the dawn of a new phase. She describes her character Amy as the emotional foundation of the family, the most emotionally available, and the most honest amongst them. Despite the family labelling her as ridiculous, she continues to challenge this perception.

Brie was already a fan of Moriarty's work before being cast in Apples Never Fall, but had not read this particular book. This gave her the chance to approach the series with a fresh perspective. Filming for the series was a departure in more ways than one, as it took place in Australia, whereas her previous shows had all been shot in California. Brie mentions that the distance added to the bonding experience for the cast, likening it to forming a family of their own.

She remarks that shooting for an ensemble series is a distinct experience, allowing for a different kind of workflow compared to her earlier works such as GLOW, and independent films like Spin Me Round or Somebody I Used to Know.

Every single day, it was a new experience for me. It was a unique endeavor I couldn’t recall undertaking in recent times, such a job where I wasn't fully absorbed in shooting for the entirety of the week. It provided me an opportunity to familiarize myself with Australia, to visit places like Sydney and Melbourne, and even gave me the chance to drive on the opposite side of the road. It was quite an adventure! Moreover, it calmed me somewhat because normally, like a few characters I usually portray, I can be pretty engrossed and mentally dedicated. However, in this instance, if I had to film a single day in a week, I’d be like, “This isn’t as demanding. Perhaps, some relaxation and fun during the week won’t hurt.” It didn’t necessarily need to be that excruciatingly focused. I believe this circumstance greatly impacted my character, as it allowed her to let her energy flow and to live in the present moment. This, I gladly integrated into my own experience.

You pointed out, Amy and her mother share a special rapport and there are quite a few heartwarming scenes between you and Annette in the third episode. What was it like working with her and nurturing that relationship?

I might end up shedding tears, I adored our collaboration so profoundly. Annette is undoubtedly an extraordinarily talented actress and a commanding presence on set, her professional conduct is downright awe-inspiring. No one could be as giving as her. We shot an opening scene for the third episode in a car, and when we were done, I looked at her tearfully and said, “Working on a scene like this with you is a treasured memory to me. Throughout my life, I’ve idolized you.” She responded, “The feeling is mutual,” and then we embraced. It was a particularly touching moment. I absolutely love her. It completely contradicts the adage, “Never meet your heroes.”

Did you and Jake discover anything about portraying two siblings out of four, especially with Essie and Conor, your other on-screen siblings being native Australians, and approaching their roles from a different perspective? How was that experience?

The six of us Delaneys felt like we represented three generations. Annette and Sam, veterans and legends; Jake and I, experienced working actors; and Essie and Conor, newcomers thrilled about their first extensive role. Jake and I relished mentoring them casually. It’s always a delight to narrate your experiences to a fresher audience. We did sense an obligation, to an extent, to watch over them, yet simultaneously, we all respected each other as equals. Their energy and eagerness were so infectious, I found myself swept up in it. Jake and I presented a much-needed reality check with our tales of long years in the industry. [Laughs]

You acknowledged the privilege of being an actor in an ensemble work. Since GLOW was discontinued, I know you were more involved in writing and producing. What do you seek in your prospective assignments at present? Are you concentrating on retaining that kind of control?

I’m genuinely seeking another excellent long-running TV show. I’ve had the fortune of working on Mad Men, Community, and GLOW, and that’s where I feel most at ease. Working on Apples was a joy, it left me wishing it wasn’t a limited series. Rejoining the set post-strike felt like coming back for a second season. We had a familiarity that removed the pressure to break the ice again.

The idea seems a bit intimidating. I’m currently relishing a break from writing, but my husband and I are co-producing this horror movie that we’re also starring in right now, which I’m thoroughly excited about. I’ve been giving directorship more thought, the idea is appealing, but it is a daunting task and requires a project that fuels my passion to carry its demanding time commitment. Plus, there’s the fear of stepping into uncharted territory and exposing oneself to vulnerability.

Community and Mad Men were aired simultaneously when the TV industry was experiencing a creative revolution. Both hit series had long runs which would be challenging to replicate these days. You appeared on GLOW during the peak of Netflix. Now you’re part of this limited series, a format that’s currently trending. You’ve indeed witnessed and participated in unique phases of modern television.

I’m so glad. I think it’s just dumb luck, and trying to make good choices. I mean, Mad Men and Community—those were two of my first jobs. Really, it was the luck of the draw. There was no audition I was turning down when I was booking Mad Men and Community, and so the odds that I could have ended up on any other pilot that didn’t go, it’s just as high as having ended up on those amazing shows. And then of course had more agency in sort of choosing to pursue GLOW. But even that was a long audition process. As you get more agency, you get to choose your projects more—it’s almost scarier, right? The stakes feel a little higher, like, I did this to myself. But ultimately, it’s just about doing good work that’s fulfilling, and hopefully trying something new and different, trying to show a different side of myself or explore a different side. To that end, I have some series in development, but the development road is long and uncertain, and who knows if those will ever see the light of day. So we persevere.

Thinking of Mad Men and Community, they were both within that kind of character type that you were talking about earlier. Did you notice people seeing you a certain way as you gained more agency?

When I was shooting those shows simultaneously, they couldn’t have felt more different to me. So that was a surprise to me that I was like, Oh, people think these characters are the same, and that’s my thing. It was all my introduction to the business at large, and the trope of typecasting and things like that. I feel like GLOW was a departure from that. I don’t know if everybody felt like it was, but certainly that is what led me down the road of writing material for myself—not getting opportunities to flex different muscles and do different types of things. I feel like the three films that I’ve cowritten, Horse Girl and Spin Me Round and Somebody I Used to Know, are all quite different from each other, and they’re more personal to me, but each in different ways.

When I first got the [Apples] script, I saw the character breakdowns and I thought they were sending me the role of Brooke, which is described as “type A, owns a physical therapy business, father’s favorite.” And then I was like, Oh, it’s the Amy role. That made me really excited. All of that said, if the right project comes around and the writing is really great and the people involved are really wonderful, I’m not like, No more type A characters ever again! Also, let’s be honest: I must just have some of that in my personality, and it may end up coming through in any role I play. [Laughs] I can’t fight it.

Now I’m going to be the first person ever to ask you about the Community movie. Joel McHale said that you guys are going to maybe film it this year. People are excited.

I’m so glad people are excited. I’m excited! I love those guys. To make an Apples comparison, they really feel like my family, and we had so much fun shooting that show. It was long hours and some wild things happened on that set. My memories of shooting Community are just laughing until we’re all crying, and having to lean over so that the tears aren’t ruining our makeup. It’s like that every time we get together. Our text chain is going strong, and so I’m really excited. I did get a phone call recently checking some availability for later this year, so that’s good. Just waiting on that script. Putting a little pressure out there. [Laughs] I know that anything Dan [Harmon] is going to come up with is going to be so brilliant and extraordinary. I can’t wait.